Dolly Parton: Outrage Over Dollywood Charity Scam Artists

Dolly Parton selflessly set up the Dollywood Foundation after a raging wildfire affected thousands near her home in the Smoky Mountains — only to get ripped off by con men!

The vicious flames tore through Dolly's beloved home in the Smoky Mountains in late Nov. 2016, and Dolly rushed to set up her charity to provide $1,000 each month for six months to each family that lost their home. But now six people have been charged with swiping roughly $12,000 in cash meant for the less fortunate.

Debra Kay Catlett and her son Chad Alan Chambers — along with Rocco Boscalia, Annie Lyons and Esther Pridemore — were charged by a Sevier County grand jury with defrauding Dolly by creating false residences in nearby cabins. Authorities say that Chambers started the scheme with the help of his mother, who owned the rental properties.

David Dotson, president of the Dollywood Foundation, said that the charity soon became suspicious of the use of temporary driver's licenses provided by Sevier County to confirm residency. "None of these folks made it through the entire distribution process," said Dotson, referring to the alleged would-be scammers.

Dolly's charity, meanwhile, went on to provide 900 families with a total of about $9 million in the six months following the disaster — with the country diva also organizing a celebrity telethon that included stars like Taylor Swift and Kenny Rogers!